Champagne
by KizzoftheDead
Summary: AU: It's an exclusive party for only the wealthiest people around, and Orihime is lucky enough to land a job handing out champagne to them all. But when one guest pushes her a bit too far, she gets a job she never expected to have. Grimmhime! (Rated T for Grimmjow being Grimmjow, and Nnoitra interacting with him, which basically means language.)
1. A Little Spill

**Champagne**

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**AN: Yay! Another fanfic! :D It's been ages! (9 Days, but whose counting?) ANYHOO... hope you love my very first chapter of my very first Grimmhime fanfic- Champagne! Please review with what ya think! (:**

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"_How did I get myself into this mess?"_ Orihime Inoue wonders, watching (but not really listening) as Grimmjow barks at her from behind a desk for getting him the wrong type of coffee, irritation etched on her face.

Really, though, she knows how- and ironically, it all started with another beverage… champagne, to be exact.

A tray full.

* * *

_~Two Weeks Earlier~_

The room is alive.

Orihime stands at the center of the party of the year, holding a tray of full champagne glasses without any difficulty or strain. She's used to working- it's clear by her calloused hands and tired eyes- and tonight is no different than all others; all work, no play.

But she can't help but be amazed at the excited buzz drilling in through her skin and coming from the room around her- no guest is unsmiling, no server isn't lucky to be there, and nobody has a care in the world about anything but the _here_, and the _now. _They all look like great, living paintings around her; they breathe with an air of grace and fortune, walk as if the world is helping them along, and look as if nothing bad could ever happen to them- as if tragedy or pain is some small insignificant thing that doesn't exist for their class.

She can't help but be jealous- can't help but want to join them and never have to worry again- but she knows she can't. Not right now at least, not with Sora counting on her to work hard. Maybe one day she'll be able to save up. Maybe one day she'll be able to get there. But right now…

It's time to work, with the life of the room going on without her.

* * *

Grimmjow steps through the entrance of the large party hall, smug arrogance leaking from him like water. His electric blue-hair seems spikier than normal, the way he walks seems cockier, and even the fire in his eyes is burning brighter- simply for one reason.

He just _knows _he's getting laid tonight.

The wealthy CEO smirks to himself as he heads toward the doors to the party, footsteps echoing down the wide and finely dressed walkway leading to the main room in the hall. He's been waiting for this night for too damn long. Nnoitra Gilga and Coyote Starrk, plainly dressed compared to the man ahead of them, follow behind silently, knowing Grimmjow won't wait up. They've been guarding him long enough to know his habits that way- and neither of them are exceptionally worried about his safety, or his ability to protect himself.

The party is much different in the eyes of Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez. He can easily see the worn look in many of the guest's faces- the men that are having affairs, the women who are angry about it, the alcoholics, the insomniacs- unhappy faces everywhere, that's what he sees, and it's unsurprising.

But it immediately kills his buzz.

"Tsk! They call this a party?" Nnoitra asks, watching as Grimmjow's excited smile turns to a frown.

The black haired man steps up beside him, crossing his arms, one good eye narrowing. Grimmjow completely ignores him, however- his buzz returning due to one lone woman he's noticed serving drinks, with striking red hair and steel grey eyes. Taking a sure step forward, his smug smirk returns.

Oh yeah, he's _definitely _getting laid tonight.

* * *

Orihime steadies her tray of champagne carefully after almost dropping it, sighing faintly. She had heard the upper class treated the lower badly, but she hadn't ever expected this. Not one person has even _looked _at her- much less given her a thank you- and it frustrates her so greatly that she feels the beginnings of a migraine coming on.

That's when she first sees Grimmjow.

Of course, she doesn't know who he is- he's just another visitor- though he looks wildly different from the others with his bright blue hair and eyes. Not only that- but he's staring straight at her.

The look on his face immediately makes her more irritated than before.

He stands halfway across the room, leaning against a pillar with a glass of champagne carefully held in his hands. His eyes are smoldering- filled to the brim with cocky amusement that seems to mock her indefinitely. Her blood pressure shoots through the roof.

"_It's bad enough I have to serve people like this… but for him to just… just… gawk at me like I'm trained monkey…!"_

She turns away immediately, then, gritting her teeth, heading for another guest as carefully as possible, trying to ignore the nagging feeling of his eyes following her as she walks away. He chuckles a little, moving to follow her, but a strong hand grabs his shoulder.

"Mr. Jaegerjaquez… I would greatly appreciate it if you would at least _attempt _to control yourself here. Those I've hired are by no means expendable to me- nor is their comfort any different."

Grimmjow turns, mouth immediately set into a scowl as he looks down at Ulquiorra Schiffer, who is hosting the evening. The other man's eyes narrow faintly at the look.

"I had hoped that inviting you to such an established event would curb your inappropriate behavior. Was I incorrect in assuming so?"

Grimmjow growls faintly under his breath, gritting his teeth.

"Not at all, Mr. Schiffer," Grimmjow murmurs boredly, glancing up at Orihime as she moves past, locking eyes with her. "Though surely you can understand my wanting another glass of champagne?"

The onyx haired CEO frowns even more deeply than normal (as he's not one prone to smiling), turning away from his competitor, not noticing that Orihime has frozen mid-step under the blue haired man's gaze.

"Not at all. It's bitter stuff- alcohol has never been my forte."

"Well don't I feel sorry for you…" Grimmjow smirks, speaking sarcastically, looking away from Orihime to lock eyes with his rival again. Ulquiorra hardly looks amused.

"Good evening, Mr. Jaegerjaquez."

The tone of his voice could burn skin.

By the time the host walks away, Grimmjow has lost track of Orihime, though by no means has she lost track of him.

"_Stare at me like that again…" _She thinks to herself, eyeing him warily from across the room. _"See if I don't say something." _

He finally finds her again after a few moments of looking around, and she sees the same fire in his eyes- the same look that everyone has given her all night (when they glanced at her, at least).

_I could buy you. _It says. _You're like the ground beneath my feet._

She takes a sure step toward him, and he does the same, more steps following.

_What can you do to me?_

Halfway to him now.

_You're nothing._

Almost there- no, wait….!

Orihime trips, sending the tray full of expensive liquid flying straight at him. She hits the ground, but not before the glass, cutting her hands when she lands in the shattered mess.

Nobody even glances her way, though she immediately looks up to lock eyes with Grimmjow, whose staring at her again.

_I win. _The look on his face says- and before she even knows what's going on, she's grabbed by both arms and lifted up in front of him by Nnoitra and Starrk.

"What do you want us to do with her?" Starrk questions.

The CEO wipes off his soiled suit with his hand, sighing, though his unhappy face melts into a devious smirk.

"How about we go for a little ride, eh?"

Orihime doesn't have time to protest.

* * *

**AN II: CLIFFHANGERRRRR! Well, sort of. Hope you loved it! Don't forget to review! Please don't forget. Please. TT-TT **

**Also, if any of my "Orihime and the Beast" readers are here, that spin-off drabble series is coming! Check my profile for ongoing/future/cancelled fics- the title is TBA soon! Much love!**

**See you next chapter!**


	2. Driving Destiny

**AN: Sorry for the long wait for the update guys! If it's any consolation, it's plenty longer! (: Hope you enjoy! Please don't forget to review!**

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Orihime lands, flailing, inside of Grimmjow's limousine, screeching curse words and other terrible, terrible things at Starrk, who just threw her inside- simultaneously struggling to sit up properly. Grimmjow slides in after her, though in the seat across, motioning for Starrk and Nnoitra to wait there, and then for the driver to begin moving.

"Who the _hell _do you think you are?! You cant just-"

"I'm Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez, and I think I'm correct in saying you're the _bitch _who just ruined my suit. So now that were done with introductions, how about you shut the hell up and let me talk for a minute, yeah?"

Orihime glares at him fully, though she quiets down, watching as he loosens his ruined tie, settling into his seat. The irritated expression on his face clearly says he'd rather just throw her out of the limousine than have a conversation with her, and when he looks up and locks eyes with her she fears briefly that she's going to burst into flame, flinching obviously.

Which is why it freaks her out completely when he begins laughing.

She immediately blushes bright crimson, offended, body leaning forward in her seat, fists clenching at the leather beneath her.

"W-what's so funny?!"

"What's _funny _is how scared you just looked. What, did you think I was gonna kill you or something?"

She turns even redder, and he laughs even harder, his deep bass voice filling the small space she's found herself trapped in. She can only guess that he's an eccentric- or drunk- or both. So she sits there in silence, holding herself back from getting angrier as this goes on, until he finally manages to stop.

"So, about the suit…" He runs a hand over his face, chuckling a little, the smirk he had earlier returning. "I doubt you have a thousand dollars to your name, especially since you're working for Mr. Emo- am I right?"

Orihime turns red again, looking away from him immediately.

"I…that…"

"Look, I'm not judging you here. Do you have money, yes or no?"

"No." She replies quickly, hunching in her seat, putting her face in her hands, looking defeated. "Please, I can't pay that kind of money… I can't-"

She looks up at the sound of glass clinking against glass, going silent as he pours two glasses of whiskey. After a moment, he hands a glass to her, looking conflicted.

"Well, that's going to be a problem… custom tailored suits go for three-thousand, and if you don't even have a thousand…" He pauses, downing his glass as Orihime turns white. "…well, you seem like a smart girl. Surely you can understand the issue here, right?"

"You… surely you have enough money to pay for it- you'd have to if you were invited to the party…"

"Damn right I do. But I like to think of myself as a teacher for people of the lower class- and letting you go without having repercussions for screwing up won't make you a better worker, now will it?"

Orihime can feel the panic beginning to cover her heart, and she swallows hard, eyes looking like a deer's in headlights. He catches the look, smirking faintly, looking as if he's enjoying making her anxious, and irritation begins to leak into her fear, causing her eyes to narrow, locking on to his with malice. He smirks even more.

"I like you, kid… it's been a long time since _anybody _has given me a look like that- it's rather…" He glances down to her chest, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "Sexy."

She slides back farther into her seat immediately, feeling uncomfortable, purposely covering her chest with her arms and flushing red. He chuckles faintly, leaning back and crossing his arms as well, looking rather happy about something.

"Well, since you can't pay for my suit cause of your shitty job with the vampire, how about you quit and take a job from me instead? I've been wanting a personal assistant- and taking you from Schiffer will just make it all the more great for me."

She begins to decline immediately (mostly because he looked at her chest), but he rolls his eyes, cutting her off.

"I'll pay you three times your salary. You give me a small part of that, pay off the suit, and if you hate working with me that much then you're free to go."

She pauses, then, a little surprised at how much he's offering, trying to understand what he's just told her. It all seems too good to be true, but she knows nothing about this man, or if he could be playing her for a fool.

"You… you're not joking?"

"Why would I?"

They lock eyes, and share a steady gaze as Orihime searches for some trick underneath it all- some hint that this is all a lie- but he shows no sign of anything, looking honest as anybody else. She glances down for a moment, running a hand through her hair anxiously, giving a heaving and unsure sigh.

"I… I'll take it then." She looks up at him again, worry etched in her eyes. "But only… only if you do everything you just said."

He gives a grin, and a small nod. The limousine stops, the door opens. She steps out.

"You start tomorrow. Here's my card." He hands her the small slip of paper out the door. "Be at that address at eight A.M. sharp."

She nods, halfway in a daze, watching as Nnoitra and Starrk slide in where she had been sitting. Grimmjow says nothing else, and the door shuts, the limousine driving off promptly.

She turns to walk back into the party, preparing to quit her job and simultaneously realizing something that she, for some reason, finds very funny. She chuckles under her breath.

"_He doesn't even know my name…"_

* * *

"You _hired _her?" Nnoitra growls, unpatched eye narrowing to hardly more than a slit as the limousine drives away. Grimmjow sighs heavily in response, sinking farther into his seat, grabbing the bottle of whiskey and taking a long swig. Nnoitra silently fumes as he does so, watching as the blue-haired CEO finishes the entire bottle off.

"Yeah, and so what if I did?" He finally spits back, clenching the bottle in his fist. "I can hire whoever the hell I want."

"So what? _You _agreed to letting me have a say in this type of shit Grimmjow- are you crazy?" Nnoitra quickly replies, voice strained and tense with anger. "I'm _mafia. _Do you understand? _Mafia."_

Grimmjow rolls his eyes, scoffing.

"We're not gonna get caught. I've had assistants before-"

"_Assistant?! _You hired a fucking assistant?! Do you know how much harder that'll make-"

"Oh shut it Nnoitra. It's not like she's going to sit in on our meetings… I just wanted something nice to look at around the office, that's all." Grimmjow growls, cutting the slimy black-haired man off. "She's not going to be around long anyway..."

"Why are you so sure about that?" Starrk cuts in, finally inserting himself into the conversation.

"It's only until she pays off my suit. I doubt she'll want to deal with me longer than that anyway." Grimmjow murmurs, looking out the window, frowning deeply.

"Well you better be pretty damned positive, you idiot. Because I swear to you, I'll kill her _and _you before I get caught, you understand? I didn't build this shit up for you to tear it down. I _own _you. I'm the only reason your company went anywhere- and you better fucking remember that."

Grimmjow glances over at him from the corner of his eyes, watching as his more aggressive "bodyguard" settles down. Just then the limo stops and Grimmjow steps out, standing beside the vehicle and looking into the black tinted glass with spite in his eyes until it drives off.

He sighs a little when he's finally alone, taking off his jacket and swinging it over his shoulder, letting it hang there.

"_Home sweet home…" _He thinks to himself sarcastically.

The sun has already begun to set.

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**AN II: Hope you loved it! Next update to be up ASAP!**


	3. Her First Day

**AN: Already another chapter? Yes! This one is sorta filler-ish, but it's got a bit of plot too so... call it what you'd like! XD Thanks to everybody who has reviewed so far, I tried to reply to every one of them, but if you didn't get one, or couldn't, thank you so much! Hope to read more great reviews from all of you with this chapter! (:**

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_~The Next Day, Around Seven AM~_

Orihime steps through the narrow and dimly lit hallways of a small hospital, knowing without question where she's going, and who she's coming to see. When she finally comes to the familiar door she's entered in through every day for the past few years, she doesn't hesitate to open it, but steps in easily, a small smile appearing on her face.

A young man with brown hair lies silent and unmoving in his bed, many machines and monitors connected to him, one of which steadily beats with his heart. He's been comatose for quite some time- but even so she comes to visit every day.

"Ohayo Nii-chan!" She says cheerfully, stepping farther into the room and setting down her bag. "I know it's early, but I have a lot to tell you!"

She steps over to the window first, opening the blinds carefully, letting bright May sunshine into the room. She turns to him, smiling.

"It's a beautiful day outside, just like the ones you used to like so much. They should've opened the windows everywhere, but they haven't got to it yet I suppose…"

She gently pulls the lone visitors chair in the room beside his bed, sitting down and putting her hands in her lap.

"I got a new job. I guess I should tell you _that _first. It pays a lot more than my old one, and I start today so…" She trails off quietly, her cheerful expression slowly melting into a more melancholy one. She gently takes his hand. "…maybe you'll get to wake up soon. I don't know how it'll work out. My new boss, Grimmjow, is a little less than ordinary but… I have a good feeling about this."

She glances over at Sora's peaceful face for a moment, waiting for some kind of response, even if she knows she won't get one. She can hardly remember the last time she saw him smile, and she doubts she will soon, even with her new job. There's already been so many complications with trying to wake him up before, she knows not to get her hopes up too high…

"I just don't know anymore Nii-chan. Sometimes I wonder if you'll ever wake up. I doubt you can hear me now, but I hope you know I miss you…" She murmurs quietly.

She sits there for a while longer, saying nothing, hung between getting up and going and staying just a little longer. She's far passed the stage where she's worried to leave because he might wake up without her, but sometimes it resurfaces for just a moment- just long enough for her to feel the faint anxiety she's used to by now. Eventually, though, she does stand, and she quickly bends down and kisses his forehead, giving a small, sad sort of smile.

"Sora… have a nice day."

She leaves with only one quick and loving glance back, knowing she'll see him again tomorrow.

* * *

_~Eight AM~_

Grimmjow steps into the cramped elevator leading up to his office, hung over and feeling like he's been hit by a train. He pushes his floor button repeatedly, impatiently waiting for the doors to close, sighing with faint relief when they begin to do so.

"Wait! Hold the elevator!" A frantic voice calls.

He groans a little, toying with the idea of letting the doors close anyway but stopping them with his hand, sighing. Orihime immediately steps into the doorway, breathing heavily, not realizing it's him and stepping in quickly, murmuring a quick and quiet "Arigato" to him. The doors close, and, after adjusting her suit-skirt, she glances up at him with a smile, only to turn completely red. He frowns deeply at her.

"O-ohayo gozaimasu Grimmjow-san!" She says quickly, freaking out internally. "I'm so sorry, I didn't realize you-"

The man pinches the bridge of his nose at the noise, head pounding, a scowl slowly forming on his face.

"Shut up will you? It's eight in the freakin' morning." He finally says, none-too-kindly.

She quiets down immediately, frowning a little but knowing she can't talk back since she's on the job. He smirks with amusement at this, chuckling under his breath.

"So you _do _know how to be quiet!"

"Well you _are _my boss now..." She whispers ruefully, looking up at the floor indicator above the door. "I should be polite. It's different from last night- I wasn't just thrown into a limo by a strange group of men."

"True." He murmurs in agreement, watching as the doors finally open to his floor. "Well Ms…."

He suddenly draws a rather large blank, raising his eyebrow, freezing mid-sentence.

"Oh shit." He murmurs suddenly. "The hell is your name?"

She laughs then, and it catches him off guard. He immediately turns to the defensive.

"Well?!"

"Inoue!" She giggles, raising her hands apologetically. "Orihime Inoue! You forgot to ask last night!"

For a split second a faint red tinges his cheeks, and he runs a hand over his face, looking away.

"I was a little… less than sober last night. I need to quit drinking." He murmurs to himself, stepping out of the elevator without another glance her way. She follows suit, following behind him until he stops at a fine wooden desk outside of a small room (which she can only assume is his office), bare except for a lamp and a phone she knows she'll probably be using quite often.

"Here's your desk. You and I will be the only people on this floor, other than the occasional guest, and Nnoitra and Starrk, whom you've already been acquainted with. You'll get a call if someone is asking to be brought up here, and you'll ask me whether it's okay and do whatever else I ask. I'm sure you're smart enough to figure it out." He murmurs bitterly, stepping for his office. "Don't bug me with stupid questions or if you get lonely, got it? Good."

He slams his office door as soon as he finishes his sentence.

* * *

Around thirty minutes after all this, a tentative knock breaks the silence of Grimmjow's office, along with a quiet:

"Uhm… Grimmjow-san?"

The CEO glances up from some rather extensive paperwork, growling faintly.

"The hell did I just tell you…" he glances at his watch. "Thirty minutes ago?"

She carefully opens the door, peeking her head in embarrassedly.

"Well, it's just… isn't there something I should be _doing?_ I thought, I don't know, that I'd be helping you with things and-"

He cuts her off immediately.

"Fine. Go get me coffee."

She blinks a few times at this simple reply, a little shocked that he hadn't started screaming at her. It takes her a few moments after this to register that he just told her to do something, and she steps in farther.

"Uhm, what kind?"

"A large decaf long black with light foam, and I'm talking _light_ foam, layered on top with a sprinkle of chocolate powder. And I'm talking a sprinkle, not a damn spoonful."

She blinks at him again, and he rolls his eyes.

"Hello, earth to red-head! Get the hell-"

"S-sorry! Yes sir!"

She almost trips when she scuttles out of the office as quickly as she can, and he holds himself back from laughing just long enough until she's in the elevator.

Needless to say, he laughs so loudly she can hear it even as the doors close.

And-of course- as soon as she returns with the coffee, he takes a sip and immediately throws it in the trash. The rest of her day only gets worse.

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**AN II: I really love making Grimmjow such a jerk. It just fits him so well. XD But anyways, hope you enjoyed! Next chapter to be up soon! (:**


	4. Totally Worth It

**AN: Finally updating this! So sorry it took so long, but it should make you happy to know that the next chapter after this one will be up VERY soon. I'm basically just working out a few things, so maybe two or three days till the next one is up? Maybe shorter? (; ANYHOO, lots and lots of humor in this chappy, not much seriousness, but it should be enjoyable. I decided not to do a different chapter for each of these little shenanigans, so this is sort-of a chapter full of drabbles! HOPE YOU LOVE IT! Please review with what you think!**

* * *

_~Throughout A Full Month….~_

Orihime bends over Grimmjow's desk comfortably, pointing out a few important ideas expressed in some paperwork she just filled out for the CEO. One arm supports her with help from the desk, and the other traces over the paper and encircles a few empty lines.

"Here's where you'll need to sign… and there also…"

Of course, Grimmjow isn't paying attention to the paper at all. What he's come to focus on, rather, is Orihime's breathtaking blouse.

Well, really, it's how loose it is.

She glances up to him and he looks away quickly, grinning a little and nodding as if he's been listening the entirety of the time. She grins back politely (mistakenly believing that maybe, just maybe, Grimmjow is coming to think of her as useful), looking back down after a few moments with red tinging her cheeks from embarrassment. He, of course, quickly goes back to what he was doing before, just as she does.

It's not for another ten minutes that she finally notices what he's up to, and, well…

Grimmjow still thinks the handprint that ended up on his face was completely worth it.

Having to figure out the paperwork on his own, not so much.

* * *

Orihime sits at her desk silently, finishing up a rather lengthy memo she's been working on for quite a while. She types steadily on the laptop Grimmjow loaned her earlier, sighing faintly. He's been out to lunch with a group of investors for a couple of hours now, and she knows that since he told her that he wanted it finished before he got back she's already pushing her luck.

Frowning deeply and biting her lip, she does a quick read-over, eyes lighting up brightly when she reaches the end of what she's written.

"_It's perfect!" _She thinks to herself, grinning brightly.

The elevator dings, and Orihime looks up to see Grimmjow exiting it. She's just about to tell him that she's finished with everything when he suddenly says:

"Forget about that memo. I don't need it anymore."

She almost bursts into tears.

* * *

Orihime silently stands in the elevator, carrying a stack of files from downstairs that Grimmjow had requested be brought up for him to see. She's struggling immensely- she hadn't expected the stack to be so heavy when he asked her to go get it- her fingers turning white where they curl around the bottom end of the collection of manila folders. She shifts her weight a little, tapping her foot impatiently and practically holding her breath to keep her breathing from being too loud. Not that anybody is listening of course…

The elevator dings once and she grins a little, giving a relieved but heavy sigh as she steps out and heads straight for Grimmjow's office. He sits silently typing at his laptop, and he hardly glances her way upon her entering the room.

"Here are the files you asked f-"

She stumbles faintly, and the top three or four files fly off the stack, scattering in a huge mess on the floor. She manages to catch her balance again before the rest of them follow suit, and so she sets them on his desk quickly, groaning a little. Taking the time to finally pay attention, (and subsequently noticing the papers strewn all over the floor), he turns and glares at her.

"Are you going to pick that up?" He asks sarcastically, reaching for the top two files off the stack on his desk.

Blushing furiously, she nods resentfully, bending over and beginning to pick up what she dropped. He frowns a little, going to look at one of the files but stopping when she faces away from him and picks up some more. Smirking a little, (but looking away after a few moments because she turns to face him again) he looks back down at the folder, eyes glinting.

"_She needs to trip more often."_

* * *

_~One Night at Midnight~_

Grimmjow steps out of his office, yawning. He's half asleep, dark circles underneath his eyes and briefcase in hand. Orihime glances up at the sound of him shutting his office door, eyes bright with joy, and just as tired as his.

"Finally!" She says, thinking she's going to get to go home and beginning to pack her things. Grimmjow looks at her strangely, eyes narrowing.

"Finally what?"

She pauses briefly, looking up at him confusedly.

"Aren't we going home?"

He chuckles a little.

"I am- you aren't."

He places a stack of paper on her desk, smirking. She looks horrified, eyes widening completely at the sight of the heavy workload.

"Just finished going over these and signing everything off. I need it all organized by tomorrow morning for a meeting."

"B-but Grimmjow…" She starts, stopping at the sight of Grimmjow's raised hand.

"No buts. I'm also gonna need you to come in early tomorrow. Six o'clock sharp."

He heads for the elevator doors, typing a message on his phone letting his driver know to meet him up front. Orihime looks absolutely staggered, eyes dull and tired, dark circles already overshadowing his by a landslide. He had her come in early this morning already…

"Six A.M." He says, the elevator doors shutting and cutting off the last letter, though she fills it in internally.

Heart pounding with frustration, she starts to organize, yawning a bit herself.

* * *

"You just can't ever get my damn coffee right, can you?" Grimmjow growls angrily at Orihime, sitting at his desk with the coffee resting in front of him. He can already tell there's too much foam- it's leaking out of the lid of the cup.

"I'll try again tomorrow." She says nonchalantly, waving his yelling off as if it's nothing. She's so used to it by now it really is.

Watching as she heads for the door, Grimmjow does something she couldn't ever have expected.

He throws the coffee at her.

It splatters all over her white shirt and down her skirt, and she's so shocked at the hot sensation that for just a moment she doesn't move. He almost laughs, and, upon hearing him trying to contain his snickering, she turns just a little too quickly in the middle of the puddle to keep her balance.

She screeches, and, not really wanting her to get hurt, he hops out of his chair to try and catch her, though he only ends up falling with her. He takes most of the impact with his arms (as he pulled her to his chest immediately) and when it's all over she lands beneath him, her face so close to his that she turns beet red.

"Are you alright?" He asks, looking at her face with the most concern she's ever seen him give her. Her heart flutters violently, and she blinks a couple of times, nodding faintly.

"_He tried to catch me?" _She thinks to herself, only then realizing that he did, turning even redder at the thought. He unwinds a little, the present danger gone and not pervading his thoughts completely anymore. Orihime catches this, noting that it seems like he had turned into a completely different person for a moment, and has now found his way back to how he always seems.

That's when he glances down at her chest.

The coffee has soaked all the way through the thin fabric of her shirt and is now very see-through- and Orihime can hardly register what he's doing until he comments on her now very visible bra.

"Pink with polka-dots? Really?"

She smashes her hand into his face so hard and quickly that he immediately pushes away from her, holding on to his nose.

"Shit!"

"You're such a pig!" She screeches, standing up immediately, arms crossed in front of her chest. "Pervert!"

He watches as she storms from the room, eyes wide, face tingling from where her hand connected with his skin. Even so, after a few moments of processing what just occurred, he can't help but grin.

"_Totally worth it." _He thinks to himself.

* * *

**AN II: I had way too much fun with this. ^.^" Next chapter to be up soon!**


	5. You Know How I Feel

**AN: I couldn't wait to upload this until tomorrow, so... Ta-daaaa! Another update for you on this beautiful February day! (: This one is definitely more serious than the last chapter, but so far this is my favorite for this story! Please leave me with a review letting me know what you think! As always, I hope you guys love it!**

* * *

_~Exactly One Month After Orihime's First Day_ -_ Five A.M.~_

"_Birds flyin' high, you know how I feel… sun in the sky, you know how I feel…" _

Grimmjow groans faintly, waking to the sound of his all-too-loud ringtone drumming inside of his head. The pain doesn't start until a split second later, when the music behind the voice suddenly blasts from the speakers of his alarm-clock, and he remembers how much he drank the day before.

"Shit…" He grumbles to himself, sitting up rather abruptly and rubbing his face.

"_Fish in the sea, you know how I fe-"_

The sound is immediately cut off as Grimmjow grabs and tosses the alarm clock into the opposite wall, shattering it to pieces. He watches as the plastic and other components scatter across the floor without much care, getting out of bed and easily avoiding them all. The pounding in his head only gets worse as he walks to his bathroom, and as a quick cure he grabs a bottle of vodka he had sitting out from the night before, chugging half of it down without issue. He places it on the counter beside the sink, turning the slick handle and cupping some of the given water in his hands, splashing it on his face. The cold liquid hardly rouses him.

He glances up to look in the mirror, staring straight into his own bloodshot eyes, trying to find some hint of himself there. He's been drinking in greater amounts recently, and he can only guess it's because of Orihime being around. It's always this way when he has an assistant- he doesn't know _why _for sure, of course, but he's assumed many times that it's because he feels the weight of their life on his back. That's why he usually hires in deals, and it's why he puts them all through hell to drive them away later, just like he's been doing to her. Nnoitra has always threatened to kill anyone that gets close to their circle, and as close as she's been getting to his pocket books, he knows she'll need to go soon…

Eyes narrowing, Grimmjow punches the glass, shattering it and his image, simultaneously slicing his fist open with it. Ignoring the pain, he goes to take a hot shower, blood dripping on his clean tile floors.

He makes sure to drink the rest of his vodka first.

* * *

_~Five to Eight~_

Orihime gives a small yawn, fidgeting faintly as she watches the numbers on the overhead floor-screen growing larger. She matches the pace of the changing numbers in her head, silently counting along.

"_13, 14, 15…. 18, 19, 20…. 22, 23…"_

She tightens her grip on the small home-made gift-basket she has clutched in her hands, taking a deep breath. She had come up with the idea for it the night before, after musing on how she could change Grimmjow's attitude about her. She's tried, to be sure, to do well as his assistant- taking down names and numbers, getting him lunch, scheduling his week out for him- but all she ever gets in return is negativity. Not once in her whole month of working there has he thanked her, or even remotely approved of her helping him at all. She had assumed originally that once she took the job from him that it would be challenging and fast-paced, but she oftentimes finds herself staring at the small clock on her desk just wishing that the day could be over.

As for Grimmjow himself, she likes him- somehow. Even though he hasn't been kind (or appropriate), she's grown to enjoy hearing him talking on the phone in his office, or asking her to come and do something for him. It's been a long time- an extremely long time- since she really had someone she could call a friend, and she considers him one, by no means of his own accord. She's often thought that the reason she does is simply because he treats her like a _person_, not some invisible entity that takes an order and disappears. Even if he reacts to her badly, it's a reaction- and he's taken at least the small amount of effort it takes to dislike a person to dislike _her. _

The door opens, and she steps out silently, peeking her head in to make sure that he hasn't arrived. Noting the silence of the floor, she makes a beeline for his office, taking extra precaution about knocking the gift she holds around.

Today, she thinks to herself, challenging what she thought only moments before- today could be the day that he finally thinks of her as a friend too.

She places the small basket filled with red-bean paste and wasabi sandwiches, soda, and chips down on his desk, adjusting the small blue ribbon around the handle ever so slightly. Looking down at it with a large amount of scrutiny, she scrunches her nose, eyebrows furrowing together in frustration.

The basket looks like crap.

"_Guess that's what I get for wanting to bring it today… but it is the one month anniversary of me being here, so how couldn't I?"_

The elevator dings once, and she turns, eyes widening, quickly leaving his office and plopping at her desk. Her heart pounds as if it's trying to burst from her chest.

It's eight o'clock exactly.

"Ohayo gozaimasu Grimmjow-san!" She says cheerfully, crossing her legs under her desk and folding her hands innocently.

The panther-like man turns and glares at her as he walks by, to which she reacts with only a bigger smile, noting that he says nothing in return.

"_Good." _She thinks, turning in her rolling chair and following his path, watching as he heads for his office door. _"He's in a bad mood… even worse than normal… which means he'll probably be even happier to have-"_

Her thoughts are cut off suddenly when she notices the bloody bandages covering his left hand, her eyes catching on the bright crimson against the white of his dress-shirt. Blinking a few times, she stands in alarm, her grey eyes wide with concern.

"G-grimmjow..!"

He walks into his office without reprieve, leaving her standing there trying to let what she's just seen sink in. He knows she's observant, as many times as she's caught him looking down her shirt, so it's no surprise she caught on so easily.

"_Why would he have a bloody fist…? Surely he couldn't have got into a fight on the way to work…"_

Her mind continues to race so quickly that she soon completely forgets about her basket, and it's not until his angered voice rips straight through all of her thoughts that she remembers it again. He's made a habit of doing that- dense as her headfog seems to be when she's surprised, he's forced to do so.

"What the hell is this shit on my desk for?"

She immediately steps into his office, heart pounding. His voice is definitely not one of happy surprise- the first thing that pops into her head when she hears it is his face that first day in the limo (the one where she thought he was going to throw her out the window)- and it's filled with tense anger.

"I… I made it because…" She trips all over her own words, ringing her hands, chest tight with fear. "….it's the month anniversary of me working here, a-and I know we've not g-gotten along very well… so I thought, well, that maybe…"

Once again her thoughts stop abruptly when she sees the rough expression on Grimmjow's face, and her words quickly follow suit. A momentary silence takes the room- a tense, vivid silence that seems to be as sentient as the two people standing there caught in an awkward gaze. Orihime knows this type of silence announces some sort of insult- though her bracing couldn't possibly prepare her for what he's about to say.

"_Haven't you figured out that I don't want you here?"_

Grimmjow can't decipher the look that takes her face upon those terrible words gushing from his mouth, and Orihime herself couldn't explain it if he were so blatant as to ask- so many emotions take her at once- anger, hurt, disappointment… but as her eyes narrow and that old flame appears in them, he knows, without a doubt, that she's done holding her tongue.

"Well that's too bad." She says through grit teeth, her whole body taking on the tone of her voice. "Because… no matter how much you hate me…."

Her eyes suddenly threaten to spill angry tears, but she pushes them back with one painful swallow.

"….I still haven't paid you back for that piece-of-crap suit!"

He recoils faintly at this, eyes widening just a fraction of an inch as she turns for the door, fists clenched. He opens his mouth to reply snidely, but she stops him by turning back to face him suddenly, the fury that was fresh in her eyes only moments ago completely faded away, replaced by a soft, sad look he can't hope to understand.

"….you know what else?" She murmurs.

He stares at her blankly, and she just smiles a little, eyebrows furrowing.

"You _need _someone to take care of you."

His heart skips briefly for some reason, and it only makes him angrier that she's standing there judging him without his being able to defend himself properly. He couldn't reply to that now if he wanted to.

"I'm here until your suit is paid off. We both agreed to that, and I guess we'll both just have to deal with each other's company until then- because you're not going to break me…and you're not going to run me off."

"…"

She exits then, her absence leaving the room with a breathable quality of an emotion Grimmjow can hardly process at the moment, mainly because he knows he shouldn't be feeling what he is.

Relief.

* * *

**AN II: Next chapter up soon! **


	6. Odd Tastes and Nightmares

**AN: Ahhh finally back! After way too long of not uploading, I've managed an eight page chappy for you all! (: Hope you all enjoy! Please leave me a review with what you think! Thanks to all who've favorited, followed, and reviewed so far!**

* * *

_~The Next Day~_

* * *

"_You don't know what you're talking about Orihime, you could've gotten yourself…!"_

"_I'm old enough to make my own…"_

"_Sora…!"_

"_Nii-chan… I'm so sorry…"_

* * *

Orihime sits at her desk silently, leaning on her arm and looking out of one of the large windows that line the wall to her left. Her eyes are strangely dull, the color three or four shades darker than normal. Her right hand's nails have left a few shallow scratches across the wood of her desk where they dug in at the most vivid part of her memory, though now her grip has relaxed and she's relatively calm.

"_I wonder why I was thinking of that…?" _She murmurs inwardly, looking away from the window and down to her desk, where Grimmjow's laptop lies. She was in the middle of typing a document, the small line in front of the last word she typed flashing in a constant interval.

"_It's been a while since I last though of that day…" _

No, that was a lie. She thinks of it every day, just not so vividly. It's always in the back of her mind now, constantly flashing in and out of her conscious thought just like that little line…

"Orihime."

She turns abruptly, eyes wide and full of life again.

"The hell is wrong with you?" Grimmjow asks, frowning a little. She immediately shakes her head in response, turning back around.

"It's nothing. Just trying to figure out what word to use here…" She runs a hand through her hair tiredly. "I'm sorry I haven't finished it yet, I guess I'm just a little tired."

Grimmjow stares at the back of her head for a brief moment, noting how detached she's seemed all day. He knows it's not from tiredness, but also knows that if he said anything to push her, she'd snap. Sighing a little and adjusting his tie, he steps to the front of her desk.

"Well, good. We're going to lunch. That should be a good break."

She glances up at him, immediately shaking her head in denial of the proposal.

"I'm not eating lunch today." She murmurs quickly in response, frowning. His eye twitches a little at this, and he runs a hand through his hair to quickly calm himself. Honestly, though, she could care less what he wants at the moment- after the day before and what he said she can't find any logical reason that he would assume she'd be willing to go out to lunch with him. He _literally _made it clear she wasn't welcome to be around, so why should she even try to be friendly anymore?

"Uh," he says irritably, an edge of sarcasm in his voice. "Yes, you are."

Frowning deeply, Orihime looks up at him, glaring fully.

"You've never asked me to lunch before, Grimmjow. Why start now? You made it crystal clear what you thought of me yesterday- so quit the act, okay? I won't try to be anything other than civil from now on."

She quickly returns to typing.

"Weren't you the one that said we were going to have to get used to each other's company around here yesterday?" He murmurs coolly in response, crossing his arms and attempting reverse psychology. "And, didn't you say I wasn't going to break you? You seem pretty _broke _to me."

Her hands freeze mid-word, and her eyes narrow before she quickly slams the laptop shut, grabbing her purse. He smirks a little.

"I knew you'd come around."

"Piss off." She replies icily, glancing at him. "I'm only going because I'm tired of fighting with you."

"Yeah, yeah… so what kind of food do you like?"

She walks past him, heading for the elevator with a frown set on her face. She completely ignores the question, and he groans inwardly, trailing behind her.

"_Guess it'll be something I like then." _He thinks to himself.

* * *

"I figured we could walk to the restaurant." Grimmjow murmurs easily, stretching a little bit as he steps out of his office building. "But if you'd rather ride there in the limo, we could do that too. I just figured that since you have a figure like _that _you must walk every…"

Grimmjow stops when he notices the tense look in Orihime's shoulders that wasn't as prominent before, noting that his attempt at a compliment must not have seemed like a compliment to her at all.

"Uhm…" He starts awkwardly, rubbing the back of his head a little. "…it's a nice day for a walk?"

She hardly turns her head, giving him a deadly glare- one that seems oddly like déjà vu. After a moment he connects who it reminds him of, and he immediately feels a chill up his spine.

"Ulquiorra teach you that one?" He grumbles, looking away from her and starting to walk ahead. She smirks to herself a little, eyes glinting.

"_Orihime: 1, Grimmjow: 0."_

* * *

Orihime has never been into a restaurant quite like the one Grimmjow has brought her into, and she finds it clear upon entering that she wouldn't have been allowed in even if she had been so brave as to try without Grimmjow. Some of the patrons dining in the teppanyaki area of the restaurant immediately turn and sneer at her, and she, in turn, immediately becomes self-conscious, face turning redder than a cherry, despite her trying to hide it.

Grimmjow has never seen a reaction quite like this to anyone he's brought to this particular restaurant, though he's not entirely surprised. Glancing over at Orihime, he understands what they see- thrift shop clothes that have been worn one too many times, and a tired working class girl that couldn't afford more than a bowl of rice at the prices on the menu she'll soon have in her dirty, faintly calloused hands.

At one point, he might've agreed with them. But today, as he watches Orihime shrivel up where she stands, he can almost see from her perspective…

"Don't worry about these stuck up…" He stops, refraining from cursing as best he can and taking off his jacket, mumbling under his breath. "You look fine… it's not your fault you're just now getting paid good money…"

He puts his suit jacket over her slender shoulders carefully, giving such a burning look at the group of people dining in the restaurant that they immediately turn around. They know who Grimmjow is- as one of the top CEO's in Japan they'll do anything to keep from getting him too angry at them.

Orihime immediately turns and looks at Grimmjow from the corner of her eyes, a wave of regret crossing through her mind for how she's been treating him today. Even with how terribly he's been treating her for the past month, he's at least trying now, and for him to see how uncomfortable she was and try to make her feel at least half-way better… she turns away quickly when he glances over at her, red just barely tinging her cheeks.

"_He almost looked like…"_

She thinks back to the day before when he threw the coffee on her, remembering clearly the look on his face when he asked if she was okay after she fell.

"…_like the person I saw yesterday."_

"_Shit… what the hell am I doing?" _Grimmjow mutters inwardly. _"She's always dressed like crap, she deserves those looks."_

He glances over at her again, noting how carefully her fingers wrap around the silk edge of his jacket, frowning a little and feeling uncomfortable. He knows he can't act kind to her like this, or really, that he _shouldn't be_. He can't let her think she should stay around, not with her life on the line, not with those gentle fingers that clutch his jacket so carefully at risk of being cut off, or burned, or broken. He's heard what Nnoitra has done to women he's _been _with, so if he got his hands on Orihime, who he hates already… he fights the chill up his spine, wondering when he came to be so terrified of Nnoitra. They had always been friends…

After a few more moments, and both of them thinking silently to themselves, the host finally comes to serve them.

"Mr. Jaegerjaquez? Your regular table, I presume?" The man murmurs with a friendly tone, not noticing Orihime at first but then doing so and glancing at her haughtily, voice lowering. "Or perhaps somewhere more concealed?"

Grimmjow gives him a dangerous smile.

"The usual." He murmurs with great emphasis on the irritation in his voice.

The man doesn't inquire further.

* * *

"I'll take a bowl of rice, please. The smallest you have." Orihime murmurs quietly to the waitress serving them, folding her menu and giving it to the disgusted looking woman. Grimmjow glances over to Orihime incredulously.

"That's all you're going to eat?"

Shifting in her seat awkwardly, she looks away from him.

"I can't _afford _anything else here."

"You're not paying, I am. Get what you want."

"You are _not _paying for my food." She replies quickly, through grit teeth. "Now just leave me alone and order what you want."

He stares at her strangely for a moment, raising an eyebrow. He's never seen her get so worked up about something so minute in his mind- but he doesn't dare cross her… by the look on her face it'd be an act of war.

Turning away, he hands the waitress his menu, shrugging.

"You know what I want." He says, watching as the woman nods kindly and walks off for him. What a bitch.

"You could've let me get you something better than that. These prices are _nothing _to me-" He starts, looking over at her.

"Yeah, well, I don't…" she trails off a little as she cuts him off, looking oddly distressed."…I don't take money that I haven't earned from anyone, okay?"

He stares straight at her, and she looks up at him, a hard look in her eyes. He nods a little, though he stops after a moment.

"Well you at least have to try some of the sushi I always get." He murmurs. "It's me _sharing, _not paying for your food."

She sighs a little and completely ignores his statement, silently refusing in her head. She puts her hand over the already hot teppan, letting the heat waft over her fingers. A soft silence takes over the private table, though Orihime soon breaks it.

"I've never seen anything like this." She murmurs. "Is this to keep the food warm when they bring it out?"

Grimmjow chuckles a little.

"You honestly think that's to keep the food warm?"

"Well what else could it be for?"

He rubs a hand over his face tiredly, grinning a little.

"You'll see."

* * *

Orihime has never been more excited in her entire life- or at least, Grimmjow can't imagine that she's been.

She leans forward in her seat, watching in awe as the chef does all sort of tricks with the food he's preparing for them. Her eyes light up when he makes a heart out of the rice she ordered and then makes it beat, and she claps eagerly when the man flips her bowl of rice with his spatula and catches it, placing it beside her plate. Grimmjow gives himself a little mental pat on the back for telling the chef to do the little show- he never has it done for himself, but Orihime seems to like it quite a bit.

After the show is over and all the food is cooked, the chef bows and leaves the teppan after cleaning it, and Grimmjow starts to really dig into his food. Orihime has already finished hers- she had mindlessly ate it all through the rest of the show- and he'd become so caught up in watching her that he's hardly eaten anything on his plate.

"I wish I had a teppan chef at my apartment! That was the best rice I've ever had!" She chirps enthusiastically, rubbing her belly a little. "And he made so much!"

Grimmjow rolls his eyes faintly, picking up a piece of vegetable he ordered with his chopsticks and downing it in one bite.

"That rice was made just like any other kind- it wasn't anything special."

"Well I _never _make my rice like that…"

He chuckles a little.

"You must not be very good at cooking then."

She turns and looks at him, glaring.

"I'm not a bad cook… I just… I have odd tastes." She murmurs, pouting a little and playing aimlessly with the chopsticks in her hand. "I've never met anyone who likes the things I do- like those sandwiches I made you- I mean, you threw the basket away so it's obvious you didn't like them, but to me-"

He cuts her off there, eyes narrowing.

"Hey, hey, hey… don't go assuming things. I ate those sandwiches for lunch yesterday. I liked them."

She stares at him blankly, unable to comprehend that he just complimented her cooking, mostly because no one has done so before.

"You… you what?"

He looks a little confused, glancing to the side and then back at her, trying to figure out what she's getting at.

"….I ate them."

"And _liked _them?"

"Yes…?"

She immediately squeals, halfway hopping out of her chair and then remembering she's in an expensive restaurant, stopping and wiggling in place excitedly instead. Grimmjow doesn't know what to make of any of her actions, watching with an eyebrow raised, sarcastic and none too kind thoughts in his mind.

"If you liked those I can make you all kinds of different weird things…!" She claps her hands together, grinning. "You can come over for dinner and-"

She stops mid-sentence, eyes widening, suddenly remembering that he's the second richest CEO in the country, and that having dinner in her dingy, tiny apartment wouldn't be considered enjoyable. In fact, she almost feels like she forgot she was eating and talking with Grimmjow at all...

"I can come over for dinner, and what?" Grimmjow says, smirking, amused with her freaked out expression. He's so used to being the one making her make that face that it's hilarious to watch her doing it to herself.

She immediately shakes her head, chuckling a little and waving off everything she said.

"Nothing… just forget I said anything!"

He's a little put off by that and starts to reply, but their server steps up with the sushi he ordered and it sidetracks him immediately.

"Finally! Best part of the meal!" He says excitedly, looking at her. "Take one!"

She starts to shake her head, and Grimmjow realizes she's about to refuse- quickly cutting her off.

"Take it or I dock your pay this month."

She laughs incredulously, eyes narrowing.

"Are you kidding me?"

"No, now hurry up."

She rolls her eyes and reluctantly takes a piece, dipping it in some of the provided wasabi on the plate. Grimmjow snorts a little, grabbing her hand before she can move the piece to her mouth and guiding it back to the wasabi and putting a little more, then dipping it in the sauce he had with his meal.

Orihime immediately turns tomato red, heart pounding, a feeling similar to the one she had when he caught her the day before gushing through her body like a river.

"Okay, that's good now." He murmurs, (thankfully) without looking at her, going to do the same with his own piece, completely unaffected by his holding her hand. She nods a little, (perhaps a little embarrassed that she got so flustered about it), taking a bite. Her eyes immediately widen.

She couldn't explain the rush of excitement she's having about Grimmjow's good taste even if she wanted to.

* * *

Nnoitra answers his phone lazily, frowning a little at his target practice being interrupted.

"Yeah boss?" He mutters, glancing behind him at Starrk, who is completely asleep against the wall despite the gunshots that have been ringing through the room for the past hour.

"_Have you taken care of Grimmjow being able to get the information?"_

Nnoitra grunts a little, discharging another round before answering.

"Yes. But I haven't exactly gotten a chance to see him recently with that pretty assistant of his running around his floor…"

"_That's a petty excuse, Nnoitra." _

Three more rounds are fired before he replies again, eye narrowed, mouth set in a vicious snarl.

"I told you I'd take care of it and I will. I've just been…" He glances over at his target, sighing irritatedly. "…a little busy."

"_I expect you to make Grimmjow aware of the situation soon, or there will be consequences relevant to how painstakingly hard I'm working to make sure this goes down successfully. I do not like waiting."_

The line goes dead immediately, and Nnoitra lowers his weapon, face darkening. A sickening bloody groan echoes in the room as his target begins to cry out in pain.

"….asshole." He growls to the phone, pocketing it and walking over to Starrk, kicking him in the leg roughly. He immediately wakes. "Get the hell up and finish this prick off for me."

Starrk frowns a bit but doesn't reply, watching Nnoitra leave before standing and removing his gun from the holster on his thigh. Raising it, he shoots the half-dead and suffering man between the eyes on the first shot- without looking.

Walking out the door, he can't help but wonder when nightmares stopped being just inside his head.

* * *

**AN II: That last part trip you up a little? (; See you next chapter! :D**


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